This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Persons with diabetes often have difficulty regulating blood glucose levels in their bodies. As a consequence, many of these persons carry specialized electronic meters, called blood glucose meters, which allow them to periodically measure their glucose levels and take appropriate action, such as administering insulin. After a blood glucose measurement or series of measurements is taken, a diabetic patient may find it useful to communicate these measurements to his or her healthcare professional for further review and analysis. In this regard, the patient's blood glucose meter may be capable of storing the blood glucose measurements for later review and analysis by the patient or the healthcare professional, who may then record the measurements manually or electronically.
The process of measuring, storing, recording and analyzing blood glucose levels can be a very time consuming process for both the patient and the patient's healthcare professional. Often, the exchange and review of data requires a meeting between the patient and the healthcare professional. People with diabetes are often searching for better and more efficient ways to manage their health. In addition, healthcare professionals need new tools to motivate people with diabetes to communicate more effectively. Technology can provide a viable platform for software applications for a wide variety of consumer demands. Moreover, many people with diabetes use personal computers and/or mobile devices in their daily lives.
In order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of storing, communicating and analyzing blood glucose measurements, it may be desirable for the patient and the patient's healthcare professional to send data, including blood glucose measurements, to a centralized electronic data repository for later retrieval and analysis. It is further desirable for the patient and the patient's healthcare professional to have these data transmission capabilities at various times and from various locations. The sharing of data and the data repository can be managed by administrative guidelines. Such administrative guidelines may need to follow certain procedures for opening, closing, and deactivating both patient and healthcare provider accounts associated with the data sharing and storage.